This invention relates to helicopters and more particularly relates to helicopters having emergency provisions for landing safely onto the ground in the event it is disabled in an air accident.
The capability of a helicopter in lifting off vertically from the ground and traveling horizontally over a long distance and then landing vertically again at the destination has greatly changed the traditional concept of having to provide a runway for an air plane to take off and to land. This concept is ideal in air transportation. Only a relatively much smaller ground area is required for the helicopter to take off or land. Thus, air transportation may be achieved quickly in any emergency; for example, in the transportation of patients, rescuing lives in a flood disaster, fire fighting in a forest area not accessible to land vehicles, in engineering and military operations.
Helicopter is an air traveling means which meets all transportation requirements. It is a product of much study and constant improvements and it is utilized for a great variety of air operations throughout the world. However, when an accident occurs in which a disabled helicopter weighing several tons including its passengers would imminently fall to the ground resulting in a total fatality. The reason for such disaster is that human is unable to build an infallible helicopter. The present invention provides the means which may be incorporated in a helicopter for safely landing it back on the ground when it accidentally becomes disabled. People regard the helicopter as a mere half developed product, because it has no provision of resolving such severe problem of safety in the event of an accident when the helicopter is flying high in the sky. If such problem can be resolved, it would fulfill the hope of achieving a safe flying machine which could safeguard the lives of the passengers, so that people would have total confidence in this form of safe transportation.
When trouble occurs in either the engine, electrical power, the body structure or loss of control by the pilot, during flight of the helicopter, in order to protect its passengers and the goods being transported, the simplest method is by using parachutes to support the helicopter for landing it safely back onto the ground. The parachutes would suspend the body of the helicopter in such event to reduce its falling speed. The main problem of such concept is that the large propeller of a helicopter covers over a large portion of the helicopter and it is not feasible to deploy a parachute directly over the helicopter since the parachute would readily be severed by the propeller.
Furthermore, use of parachutes alone can not reduce the falling speed of a disabled helicopter to obtain a safe landing on the ground, and provisions must be incorporated to protect the helicopter if it falls onto a body of water such as in the sea, a lake, or a river.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a parachute system on a helicopter, which is deployable for suspending it in air if the helicopter is disabled.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a braking system on a helicopter for retaining its propeller at a predetermined position while the parachute is being deployed.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a plurality of speed reduction jets on a helicopter for reducing its falling speed and for landing it safely back onto the ground.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a cutting means for severing the parachute after the helicopter has landed on the ground.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an inflatable air bag system which is operative to maintain the helicopter afloat if it lands on a body of water.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a sealing means for preventing water from entering the helicopter when it has landed on a body of water.